


The King's Court

by thethingaboutthat



Category: No Fandom
Genre: #Highschool, #asexualmaincharacter, #bestfriendissecretlyinlovewithmaincharacterbutneversaysanything, #faketown, #gay, #murder, #nofandom, #nonbinarymainbutalsokindofsidecharacter, #originalcharacters, #originalplot, Charactersliketheharrypotterseries, Druguse, F/F, F/M, Halloween, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, PoC, Soccer, Twins, badrelationshipwithparents, lgbtq+, mentalhealth, overthecourseofafewmonths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27982200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thethingaboutthat/pseuds/thethingaboutthat
Summary: It all happened so suddenly. I couldn't hear a word he was saying. I could see him sobbing on his knees and I just stood there, staring down at him. I couldn't move. Just last week, we were happy, and now here we are; one of us pleading for his life while the other ignores him.





	1. Formaldehyde smells like twizzlers

_ Mossy green eyes and a crooked smile appeared in front of me. I couldn't make out what he was saying, the voice sounding distant. His smile dropped the longer he continued to speak. I couldn't say anything as I continued to stare down at him. I started to notice tears filling up his eyes before he began full on sobbing.  _

_ "Stop!" He shouted. _

_ I tilted my head and watched as he fell on his knees, "This is just the beginning my love," I sneered. _

********************

"Sawyer honey, if you're not up soon, you'll be late for school," my Mom spoke gently as she shook me awake.

I turned away from her and shoved my face into the pillow.

"If you're not up in five minutes, I'll be sending your Father in," She threatened and walked out of the room.

I let out a loud groan and slowly got up. I picked up a shirt off of the floor and a quick smell test deemed it fit to be worn again. Slipping on a pair of worn out skinny jeans and throwing on a light blue hoodie, I headed downstairs hearing my Mom argue with my twin sister, who is trying to leave the house in fishnets, short shorts, and a crop top. 

"Michele Caruso! You can't leave the house looking like you work on the corner!"

"Mom! Why would you say something like that? Seriously, as a woman you should know not to degrade other girls like that," Michele retaliated, then stormed out of the room, grabbing her backpack on the way out.

"Sawyer, if you're not in the car in two minutes, you're walking!" She added on before slamming the front door.

I looked at my mom who is red in the face. If this was a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of her ears. I shrugged and followed my sister out the door.

When I got in the car, Michele had her head on the steering wheel, "You know I'm on your side right? Mom's a twat towards you and she needs to be set straight M," I spoke softly.

"Thanks Sawyer, I just don't understand why she hates everything I do. You could straight up murder someone and she wouldn't bat an eye," Michele joked towards the end. 

I smiled, "If I murdered someone, I hope I have you by my side."

Michele laughed and nodded, "You know it, but seriously, if she doesn't knock it off, I'm going to move in with James."

James Denver is her best friend, who has been there since we were all about six or seven. I'm also friends with him, but not as close as him and Michele are. Michele pulled into the parking lot at school and almost hit a group of kids standing in our designated spot.

"I hate arrogant people so much Sawyer. I swear to God, I will not make it through today," She groaned before stepping out of the car.

"Fine ass, Michele," One of the jocks whistled.

"Will you still call it fine once I beat your ass?" She backfired.

One of the things I admired about Michele was her confidence. She doesn't take anyone's shit and will punch first before asking questions. I headed to my locker, finding Griffin Turner leaning against it. 

Confused, I slowly approached him, "Hey?"

"Sawyer Caruso! So lovely to see you. I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"Um, yeah sure, I guess?" I answered uneasily.

Griffin is a player, and it's no secret either. I've managed to not get tangled up in his mess over the last several years, but I guess he has gone through everyone else. 

"Just wanted to know how you were doing and if you might want to grab ice cream or something after school, it'll be on me?"

I pursed my lips, free food? How could I turn that down? I can just get the food and that'll be the end of it.

"I’m not too sure Griffin, I don’t really know you.”

"We can use it as a way to get to know each other, just as friends?" He asked with a smile.

I bit my lip, what could possibly go wrong with making a new friend? “Sure, I guess, could always use a new friend.”

A grin took over his face, “Great! I’ll meet you at the lion after school?”

I nodded and gestured for him to move out of my way, so that I could get into my locker. I quickly texted my sister to let her know she didn't have to wait up after school and turned off my phone before she could bombard me with all of her questions.

Usually, it's the brother that is more protective of the sister, but with me looking like a skinny tree and no defense skills, she acquired the protective trait.

"Mickey and Nat broke up again, how much do you want to bet they'll be back together by the end of the week?" Ritchie Kipper, my best friend of seven years said. 

"Mickey told me last night that they were done for good, this time," I mentioned.

Mickey is the newest addition in our group, I've known them for about four years. They have been in an on and off again relationship with Natalie Forrester for about a year now. She is a really nice girl but has major commitment and trust issues. 

"Didn't they say that the last time Natalie broke up with them?" Ritchie asked.

"Wouldn't you get tired of the constant on and off again and the fighting over nothing? It's just high school, you shouldn't be so dependent on serious relationships yet," I remarked.

"Spoken like a true virgin, Nat must have great game for Mickey to put up with her shit," Ritchie smirked.

"You're disgusting Ritchie, not everything is about sex," Mickey jumped in out of nowhere.

Ritchie and I both jumped, startled at their sudden appearance.

"Shit, Mick, warn someone before scaring them why don't you?" Ritchie hissed, still clutching his chest. 

Mickey and I laughed at his reaction.

"I had a strange encounter with Griffin today, he asked me to grab ice cream after school," I breathed out, still unable to catch my breath from laughing.

Mickey and Ritchie both stopped and looked at me, "Look at our boy Mickey, messing around with Griffin Turner!" Ritchie sang.

"He's growing up so fast!" Mickey added on.

"You gotta be careful though, you know how he is. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Ritchie asked.

"Yeah, I know, it was a bit of a surprise so I’m cautious. He said something about making friends," I said.

"Alright, don't get too caught up with him, I don't need to go to jail just yet," Mickey spoke. 

"I know how to take care of myself, you know?" I asked rhetorically. 

Ritchie rolled his eyes and pushed my shoulder lightly, "Get to class big boy."

Mickey looped their arm with mine and started to drag me to the science wing.

Taking my usual seat in-between Mickey and James, Mr. Pollor had dissecting trays stacked on his desk and a diagram of a frog on the board.

"Good Morning students, as I reminded you yesterday, today is lab day. We will be following the manual and diagram in your books on dissecting frogs. Remember the labs are a major part of your grade! Get to work folks," Mr. Pollor instructed. 

"I'll get the supplies, Mickey can get the frog, and will you get out the notes for the lab?" James asked, heading to get supplies.

"This may be a great time to practice my necromancy," Mickey joked, at least I hope he did, before going to get the frog.

I pulled out our A.P. biology textbook and all of the notes we've taken leading up to this lab. My mind drifted off to the ice cream date. He seemed really sweet this morning, compared to other interactions I've had with him. But, then again wouldn't anyone be sweet if they wanted something from you?

"Pollor said I couldn't try necromancy in his classroom, and that if I really wanted to try it, to start on something that hasn't been filled with formaldehyde," Mickey said, dropping the tray with the frog on the table.

"Formaldehyde smells like twizzlers," James mentioned.

Mickey and I both stopped, staring at James. A light blush covered his cheeks before he shrugged. 

“Alright then, Sawyer, read me the instructions,” Mickey changed the subject. 

“Uh, you have to slice from the neck area to the pelvic region and pin the skin to the tray.”

I wasn’t a big fan of dissecting animals, so I let Mickey and James do the work while I take notes and read the instructions. 

Mickey sliced the frog's front open and pinned the sides to the tray, then proceeded to open its mouth and cut the sides to make the mouth wider.

"We've got a pregnant froggo on our hands!" Mickey shouted, gaining some attention from other groups.

They proceeded to jab at the eggs until liquid shot at them, causing Mickey to let out a shriek. James and I began to laugh at them. 

"Absolutely disgusting, I'm going to go wash up," Mickey jumped up and nearly ran out of the room.

James and I calmed our laughter and continued to work on the lab (the correct way). 

*****

Before I knew it, my first three classes passed by quickly, leaving me alone at the lunch table waiting for my friends to grab what school calls lunch. I'm pescatarian and this school never has any appealing options, so I pack my lunch every day. 

A lunch tray hit the table causing me to look up, while I was expecting either Ritchie or Mickey, Griffin Turner stood in front of me instead.

"You mind if I join you guys today?" He asked and before I could answer, Ritchie sat down and agreed. 

"I hope you know that if you hurt Sawyer in any way, we will not hesitate to end you," Mickey said as they sat down.

Griffin shifted in his chair awkwardly, opening his mouth to speak before Michele interrupted him, "Why are we worried about Griffin hurting Sawyer?"

"They've got an ice cream date after school," Ritchie stated.

“It’s not a date,” I corrected, but that went unheard.

Michele glanced over at Griffin who was pretending to not pay attention to their conversation. James joined us and sat in-between Michele and Mickey. 

"No offense Griffin, but Sawyer, is that a good idea?" James asked.

"Still offended," Griffin added in quickly.

"What's wrong with getting ice cream? I can take care of myself, you know?" I said in annoyance.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table, an unusual thing in our group. We are a very loud and talkative group, and if we're all together in a class, the teacher ends up splitting us up. 

"Mickey, can I speak to you really quick?" Nat spoke softly when she arrived at our table. 

Mickey looked at Ritchie and I before getting up and following her out of the cafeteria. Even though Natalie and Mickey have broken up (numerous times), she still sits with us sometimes. She has been a part of our group for about five years, even though she is no longer as close to us, as the three of us are with each other. She became a cheerleader at the start of high school and slowly fell out of our wavelength.

"Well that didn't last long Soy, how much did we bet?" Ritchie asked, breaking the silence.

I rolled my eyes, "We didn't bet on any money, and who knows, Nat might just want to make sure they can still be friends."

"They're holding hands, how can that relationship be mentally healthy for them?" James asked, shoving his face with food.

I grimaced and shrugged, we have already tried to talk to them separately several times and that has gotten us nowhere. Mickey sat back down at the table while Nat waved to us and went to go sit with the cheerleaders. 

"What's your favorite kind of ice cream?" Griffin asked, reminding me that he was still here.

"Vanilla or Chocolate chip cookie dough. Boring, I know but I quite like the basics," I smiled.

"Soy Sauce, I'm not even going on a date with you and you are boring me," Ritchie groaned, making a few others laugh.

"Soy sauce?" Griffin questioned.

"He got the nickname after being dared to chug some soy sauce and stupidly doing it," Mickey said.

Griffin looked at me, "Soy sauce is gross, but I like the determination, was there money involved?"

"Yes, fifty dollars, spent it on food," I answered.

"We shorten it to Soy, which kind of is like shortening Sawyer," Michele added on.

"What class do you have next Sawyer?" Griffin asked.

"Art, with these four idiots," I said motioning towards Michele, James, Ritchie, and Mickey.

"I'll see in you P.E. then? I have History next," Griffin said, getting up to go throw away his trash.

"He gives me weird vibes," James said with a mouthful of food.

"James, I know I'm pescatarian, but I really don't want to see food," I joked expecting to get some laughs, but everyone just stared at me.

"Your jokes are shit Soy," Michele stated, getting up to leave for class.

The rest of us quickly threw away our trash to follow her.

  
  



	2. Merrily, Merrily, Merry River

"Hey, let's ditch the next couple of periods?" Ritchie asked, grabbing my arm before we entered the Arts wing. 

I agreed and followed him towards the band room that had a door leading to the football field. 

"Are you really going to go through with the date?" He asked once we sat in our usual spot.

"Yeah, but mostly just for the free ice cream," I joked causing Ritchie to laugh.

"I really don't want you to end up getting hurt."

"I'll be fine, plus who knows maybe he just got painted that way and fell into the game," I suggested.

Ritchie hummed and closed his eyes, "We've known him since middle school Soy, and yet we don't know anything about him besides his dating lifestyle, how can one-person date so many people and yet I can't even talk to that many in a day."

We fell into a silence after that and listened to the gym teacher's whistle blowing ever so often on the soccer field. 

"We haven't skipped class in a while and I don't think it was to ask me about Griffin Ritchie, what's up?"

Ritchie sighed and sat back up, "My dad came back yesterday, he sat on the porch waiting until I got home but left before my sisters got home."

Ritchie's dad left a few years ago after he was caught cheating. His mom was quick to get a divorce, because she knew what it was like to have your parents go through that. His dad seemed to fall off the face of the earth until a few months ago when he started to bug Ritchie for money and shit.

"What'd he want this time?"

"Threatened to try to gain custody over me if I didn't give him some money, dumb fuck doesn't even realize I'm almost eighteen," Ritchie scoffed and ran a hand through his hair.

"If he keeps showing up at your house, come stay with me, I doubt he'd find you then," I offered.

"You may just get a roomie if he shows up tonight."

"Just come over after school, yeah? I won't be there, but you can just hang in my room, Mom won't mind plus she loves you."

"Do you have any stuff?" He asked—pertaining to weed.

"In the usual spot but leave the window open and do it in the bathroom, Dad's home tonight," I answered.

Unlike Ritchie's parents, mine thought staying together for the kids was healthy even if my Dad wasn't home most nights. He's stricter than my Mom and is used to get us to do things. 

The bell signaling the end of art went off, "We've got culinary and we're making cookies so get up," Ritchie said, standing up.

Ritchie put on his smile and headed towards the band room. Usually we'd stay out here until History, which is after Culinary Arts, and relax and talk about anything. But today was one of those days where you need a distraction and class was the easiest way to get it. 

*******

By the time the end of the day rolled around, Griffin was already waiting at the lion (which was a giant statue of our school mascot). He waved at me and started to lead me to his car. A few cars down, Ritchie and James were arguing over the front seat while Michele looked two seconds away from hitting them.

"Are you cool with getting ice cream? I know this really nice shop near the park, they also have like a huge pumpkin farm," Griffin asked.

"I love ice cream, so of course I'm cool with it," I said, getting into the passenger seat.

He handed me the aux cord, "Show me some music, I need new bands to listen to," He said, turning the car on.

"I have a slight weird taste in music, but also my taste in music is all over the place," I said as I put on, "dead yet" by Gabriel Black.

" _ There ain't nothing going on round here tonight, you passed out on me, I guess I'll hit the lights. Is this all we do? Smoke in your room at 2 am,"  _ played through the car speakers.

"I recently found this song and have been obsessed," I said as he turned up the volume slightly.

" _ I'm just a dog chasing rabbits in the sky, wrist tied to your waist, I'm on a chain, I'll never fly _ ," I sang quietly.

"You have a pretty voice, Sawyer," Griffin complimented.

"Thanks, I love to sing so get used to it," I joked and elbowed his arm lightly. 

"Why aren't you in choir?" He asked.

"I am, I've always been in choir, I love Mama Pine."

Griffin glanced over at me, "I swear I've never seen you in chorus."

Griffin was our pianist starting last year, since Mama Pine started to get tremors in her hands.

"Well there are a lot of people, and maybe you're just too invested in the piano."

He agreed with a slight laugh and pulled into a parking spot. Being around him felt awkward, I have no idea what to say and what not to say. 

"Alright, they have a lot of weird flavors so feel free to expand your palette, vanilla" He teased and opened the front door for me.

A little bell went off and a girl around our age came out of the back.

"Griffin! How are you?" She asked, quickly washing her hands.

"Good! This is Sawyer, Sawyer, this is my cousin Isobel," He informed before going to read the menu.

I waved and let out a small hello. I looked up to the menu and noticed they had flavors from pistachio to birthday cake to Pina colada. 

"What can I get you boys today?" Isobel asked.

Griffin went first ordering and green tea flavored ice cream. 

"May I get a vanilla with rainbow sprinkles in a dish please?" I repeated my rehearsed ice cream order. 

"You got a vanilla kind of guy, huh?" Isobel teased Griffin, who handed her a ten.

I shifted awkwardly, not used to sexual jokes being made about me. Isobel handed Griffin his change while another employee handed us our ice cream.

"Want to take a walk through the park while we eat?"

"Yeah sure, but I walk slow when I eat because I can't multitask," I answered.

He led me out of the small shop, we headed down a path that took us past the small pumpkin patch. The gravel path leads us through a small wooded area before you cross a foot bridge over Merry River.

"My dad said he used to go swimming in the river, before the dam was taken down," Griffin mentioned.

Merry River is a deep river that runs through the edge of Fort Henry, a small town in Washington. It wasn't really safe to swim in due to how fast it moved. It rained a lot here causing the river to overflow and rush by. The wooden railing was covered in semi colons, some faded and some new. 

"It's so sad, the semi colons," I said quietly.

"They're putting up a chained fence with barbed wire at the top soon, it took them long enough if you ask me," Griffin said. 

He started to head the rest of the way off the bridge and I quickly followed. I looked around the park, it was more of an open field than an actual playground. There were a couple of picnic benches, a set of five swings, and two slides in a small part of the field. On the left side of the park held a larger part of the woods. We threw our trash away in the bin and headed over to the swings. 

"If I ever make enough money, I'm building this town a park that isn't sad," I joked.

"Please do, future generations shouldn't have to go through this," Griffin added to the joke.

We sat on the swings before it got quiet again. I'm not good at small talk and will usually try to avoid any uncomfortable situation.

"Tell me about your friends?" He asked.

I smiled, "Well there's Ritchie. His real name is Richard but obviously prefers Ritchie. I've known him since we were ten. I'd say we are the closest of the group. We made a pact at the beginning of the eighth grade to tell each other everything once we met Mickey. He was afraid they would steal his spot."

I let out a chuckle thinking of that memory, "Mickey is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, they are really intelligent, most likely will be valedictorian when we graduate in May. They're dating Natalie, who used to be a part of our group before Mickey but started drift at the beginning of like sophomore year. Sadly, I don't know much about her anymore aside from what Mickey tells me."

"Michele is your sister, right?"

"Yeah, she's older than me by twenty minutes and will throw it in my face any chance she gets, James, who sat with us at lunch, is actually more of her friend but we've known him since we were like six," I concluded.

"I have a few friends, but we aren't close, I don't think we've even been to each other’s houses, mainly just the mall," Griffin said with a sigh.

"Why's that?"

"Just never got around to actually getting to know them, you know? I usually hang out with Isobel and her siblings since they live a few houses down."

I frowned, I wouldn't have gotten through high school without Ritchie and Mickey. I couldn't imagine what life would be like without them.

"Well if you want, you can hang out with us. We do a sleepover at my house almost every Friday and then sometimes go out for lunch or a movie on either Saturday or Sunday," I offered.

"That sounds like fun, what do you guys usually do?"

"Well we try to watch movies but end up playing video games, we sometimes go for walks after midnight. One time we pulled out my  _ Midsummer's Night Dream  _ and acted it out. We also blast music until my Mom yells at us."

Griffin laughed, "You acted out a Shakespeare play?"

"Well it was mainly Ritchie and I that did that, then again we were stoned," I joked.

"You smoke marijuana?"

I paused before answering, "Yes, why is that an issue?"

He shook his head, "No, just surprised? You seem like a goody two shoes."

I gasped, "I feel kind of offended? Smoking weed doesn't mean we aren't good people, we have a lot of anxiety and just need to relax, you know?"

"I know smoking weed doesn't mean you're bad, and I'm all for it, haven't smoked in a while." 

"Wow, I'm surprised, you seem like a goody two shoes," I mocked.

He pushed me away causing my swing to sway. I laughed at him when he rolled his eyes.

"I went through a rebellious phase and did anything to piss my dad off last year," Was his excuse.

"I couldn't do that, if my dad even knew I was smoking pot, I'd probably get my ass kicked."

"My dad wouldn't kick mine; he's trying to bond. He's going through that phase where parents realize how old their kids are getting," Griffin said with a small frown on his face.

It felt like there was more to his story and before I could ask about it he was standing up.

"What time do you guys usually have the sleepover?"

"Ritchie is there after soccer practice, so around four, and Mickey comes over around six, why?"

"Want to get something to eat after school? Ritchie can come after practice, so he can get to know me and vice versa," He asked. 

I smiled and nodded, "That would be great, and if you want you can come to mine after and hang out or stay the night, whatever you're comfortable with."

We started to head back to his car before it got too chilly, while it was still technically summer, the middle of September always proved to be unpredictable. Like true Fort Henry fashion, it started to rain, so we ran the rest of the way to the car.

When we arrived at my house, Ritchie had his face pressed against my bedroom window. 

"Could I have your number?" Griffin asked, handing me his phone. 

I created a new contact and added my name as SoyBeans. He looked at the name and chuckled.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow? I'll bring some snacks," Griffin said.

"If you do bring any snacks, can you make sure they're gluten free? Mickey has a gluten allergy," I asked.

"Yeah, totally, don’t want to accidentally cause any allergic reactions,”

I smiled and nodded, surprised he remembered. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

My face flushed red, "I've been wanting to do that all afternoon, you're so pretty Sawyer," Griffin confessed, causing my red face to get darker. 

"You're really attractive too Griffin, and I'm glad we got to do this even if I was a little skeptical at first," I responded.

"I'm glad you changed your mind; I hope we can get to know each other more?" 

I nodded and went to respond, when a loud bang interrupted us. 

Ritchie was grinning on the other side of the window and was tapping the window trying to get us to roll it down.

"Yes?" I questioned.

"Griffin release my boy, you've had him long enough," Ritchie demanded as he reached his hand in to unlock the door and open it. 

Seeing how I was already unbuckled, Ritchie tried to pick me up and I let out a (very manly) scream, "Put me down, you're going to drop me!"

When he finally set me down, Griffin was laughing. I looked up at Ritchie and noticed the red tint to his eyes and the puffy bags below them. 

"Griffin, he will see you tomorrow, I need attention," Ritchie spoke as he grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

"Drive safe!" I shouted with a wave, letting Ritchie take me inside. 

"Alright, tell me everything!" Ritchie shouted once we reached my room.

Michele bounded into the room upon hearing Ritchie screaming: "Baby Sawyer's first date!"

"We went to Maria's, the ice cream parlor near that old park, and then took a walk around the park just talking," I summarized for them.

"Sawyer, details! Don't sound so boring," Michele egged on.

"Alright fine, it was extremely awkward at first. But then he started to ask questions about me, and I don't know, he seems really sweet? Like I really enjoyed it, and I invited him over tomorrow night. He wants to take Ritchie and I out for something to eat tomorrow after school," I explained.

"Third wheeling? I'd rather pass Soy," Ritchie said.

"It's not third wheeling when he wants to get to know you, is it?" I asked.

"Fine, gotta make sure he doesn't steal your number one," Ritchie joked with a serious undertone.

"It smells like shit in here Sawyer, Mom will be home later," Michele reminded before heading back to her room. 

"She seems off lately," Ritchie mentioned as he sprayed the room with Febreze and turned on a wax warmer.

"Yeah, Mom's giving her a hard time recently. This morning they got into a full argument over her outfit. I'm afraid she's going to leave like Jack," I got quieter as I spoke.

Jack is my older brother, he left right after he graduated because of Mom and Dad. He came out as trans and our parents didn't like that one bit. After he left, Mom realized how much of a piece of shit she was to him and tried to support me being panromantic. He sometimes gets in touch with me, more than he does Michele. Michele kind of resents him for leaving, mostly because of the lack of communication. 

"Honestly, she might Sawyer, but she won't cut you out," Ritchie reassured. 

I smiled and laid on him, "Plus her leaving might be good, look at how happy Jack is," He added on. 

"You're always right when you get high."

Ritchie laughed and started to run his fingers through my hair.

"I love you Sawyer, and everything will be alright," Ritchie whispered as I closed my eyes. 

*****

"Could I get a medium fry and a chocolate milkshake please?" Ritchie asked the McDonalds employee.

Griffin ordered next, then glanced at me, silently asking what I want.

"I'm good thanks, I'll just steal from Ritchie."

"Make that a large fry, then please?" Ritchie corrected.

We sat down at a booth while we waited for our food.

"Sawyer told me that you've been friends for several years, yeah?"

Ritchie's eyes lit up, "Let me tell you how Sawyer and I met," I groaned as those words left his mouth. 

"Alright fifth grade, I just moved from the Seattle area, right? This was back when everyone was forced to invite everyone to their birthday party. Well, since I was new, my Mom invited the class to a sleepover, even the girls. Sawyer and Michele are the first to arrive, their Mom is speaking to mine and is all like: 'Are you sure you'll be okay with them?', my Mom brushed it off and was like: 'Yeah, what could be wrong with two ten year olds', right?" He was interrupted as the employee dropped off our food.

After thanking them, Ritchie continued, "The twin’s Mom backed away slowly and I swear she drove down the street slowly too, but they just took a seat at the table with me after setting their sleep stuff at the door. My Mom was convinced that their Mom was just a paranoid Mother. The party didn't actually start for another hour, so My Mom forced me to try to get to know them. Sawyer was kind of quiet at first, while Michele wouldn't shut up. Soon she realized we weren't paying attention and went to go talk my mom's ear off, like she didn't take a breath to let anyone else speak."

I laid my head on the table, groaning knowing what he was about to say next.

"This bitch Sawyer, stared directly into my eyes and said: 'My Mom doesn't trust me after the missing girl'. My Mom overheard, and she looked kind of terrified and pulled me closer to her. My Mom didn't trust him, and called his parents, which their Mom said something like that didn't last long. So, my Mom explains what Sawyer said, and it turns out he fucked up his explanation. She was just worried he was going to get kidnapped. But that's all he said for the majority of the party," Ritchie said through a laugh.

Griffin looked over at me, laughing as well, "That's one way to make friends Sawyer."

"Oh, there's more Griffin," Ritchie started. 

I threw my hand over his mouth, "Please don't."

He bit my finger causing me to hold my hand to my chest, "Anyways, everyone’s gone off to sleep, it's like after midnight when I feel someone pushing at my face, I wake up and almost scream because Sawyer's face is like two inches from mine. He holds up this bag and goes: 'Wanna eat?' and we just eat candy for two hours and spent the next day sick as fuck but after that we stuck together," He finished with a smile while staring at me.

I rolled my eyes, glad he left out the most embarrassing part, "No, we stuck together because you followed me around every day for a while, thinking I had more candy and soon it just stayed that way," I corrected him. 

"Sawyer puked on my Mom, that's why he didn't want me to say anything, payback for making me look like a leech," Ritchie retaliated and stuck his tongue out at me. 

I pushed him out of the booth, and he groaned as he hit the floor with a thud. 

"How'd you meet Mickey?" Griffin asked once Ritchie slid back into the booth.

Ritchie pursed his lips and looked over at me, he loves Mickey, just didn't like how we all met, "We met in what? The eighth grade?" Ritchie asked me and I nodded, "Sawyer and I got into an argument over something stupid probably, can't even remember—"

"—The dinosaur egg," I added in quickly.

He let out a laugh, "The dinosaur egg, I accidentally killed our pet dinosaur, one of those things you place in the water and it grows, and Sawyer was afraid I wasn’t marriage material—" I groaned once more. 

"Anyways, Mickey went to school with Sawyer since kindergarten but never intermingled until after this and they fed Sawyer all kinds of snacks, and since Sawyer was upset, he ate that shit up. Mickey didn't like me at all, like they would fake gag when I was near and I swear they felt accomplished when Sawyer hung out with them instead of me," Ritchie began.

"It didn't last long, Ritchie and I being separated, I expected him at my house every Friday and he showed, turns out Mickey had a crush on me and thought Ritchie and I were dating so they kind of resented him for a bit. After forcing them to hang out together for months, they became close too. Natalie helped a bit by basically telling Mickey to grow up,” I finished for Ritchie.

“Which by the way, I don’t even remember how we met Nat,” Ritchie brought up.

I stopped and went to open my mouth to answer only to find out I had no clue either. 

“She just there,” Ritchie said with the least amount of grammar possible. 

“It’s good that you guys moved past that, you seem like a really close-knit group,” Griffin commented. 

Ritchie nodded and pinched my cheek, “Gotta love Sawyer!” 

Ritchie glanced over at Griffin, “What about you? What are your friends like? I need new friends.”

I rolled my eyes at his comment while Griffin answered, “The friends I have are more like acquaintances, kind of just the people you hang around when you’re all bored,” He said and added a shrug.

“Siblings?” Ritchie asked.

Griffin shook his head, “Nope, an only child, you guys?” 

“I have two younger sisters,” answered Ritchie.

“Michele obviously, and one older brother, but he goes to school in New York.”

“NYU?” Griffin guessed.

I nodded, “Yeah, actually. Good guess.”

“We should probably head over to your house Sawyer, it’s almost five,” Ritchie changed the subject as he stood up.

I got up to throw away the trash as Griffin and Ritchie sparked a random conversation. 

I felt bad at how Griffin seemed lonely without any siblings or close friends. Maybe that's why he dates so many people.  Whenever the topic of his friends and family came up, a somber mood came over him. I feel the need to get closer to him, hopefully tonight will go well and he'll fit in well with the group. Might even become a permanent member whether we start dating or not. 

****

"Alright, Harry Potter, soda, and candy," Ritchie started to list off, closing my bedroom door.

"What house are you Griffin, Harry Potter is serious," Mickey asked.

"I'm Slytherin, though I've never watched Harry Potter, my cousin made me take the Pottermore test," he answered. 

“My girlfriend Natalie is also a Slytherin, but I’m surprised you’ve never watched it,” Mickey said. 

"I'm a Ravenclaw, Ritchie is a Gryffindor, and Mickey is a Hufflepuff," I informed Griffin.

"It's kind of a letdown that you're not Gryffindor though, but you do you I guess," Ritchie said.

"Why's that?" Griffin asked.

Mickey rolled their eyes and told Ritchie to shut up.

"It's because your name is Griffin," I told him quietly to clear it up. 

Michele slammed the door open, "Mom's on her way home, I'm hiding in here," She said as she plopped down besides Mickey.

"No James tonight?" 

"Nope, got some convention in Seattle tomorrow, so he left straight after school."

"It's Harry Potter night, unless you have a better request," Ritchie said.

"Don't give her any ideas," Mickey said as they hit Ritchie on the arm.

"How about Mario Kart? Or even FIFA? You guys just watched Harry Potter like a month ago," Michele complained. 

"I could go with FIFA, kick all your asses," Ritchie said, jumping up to get the game ready.

"Just because you play soccer, doesn't mean anything," I said, challenging him. 

"Tough talk for a fellow within cum shot distance," was Ritchie's response.

A slight horrified look came across Griffin's face, causing me to laugh, "Don't scare Griffin away Ritchie."

"Well if he's here he should get used to it," Michele sneered. 

"Don't get your panties in a twist there, M," Mickey said, which Michele responded with, "Just saying."

Ritchie threw Griffin, Mickey, and me a controller. I have a Nintendo switch with only four controllers, leaving Michele out who groaned and laid on the floor.

Ritchie won the first three rounds before we gave him Griffin, and he hasn't won a game since.

"Griffin, you suck, give it to Michele buddy," Ritchie ranted, not taking his eyes off of the screen.

"She left like fifteen minutes ago," I reminded him, "Let's do something else."

Ritchie groaned and turned off the game, "Sorry for any trash talk during the game, FIFA messes with me, you know?" 

Griffin nodded and waved him off, "I never played before, so it was probably necessary."

I glanced over at my digital clock on my dresser, the numbers read eleven p.m. 

"It's already eleven?"

Ritchie glanced at the clock and hummed, "Food?"

Griffin got up and grabbed his bag, dumping the contents on the bed, "I brought snacks."

The three of us made direct eye contact before fighting to grab the only bag of cheese puffs.

"Sawyer back off! Munchies," Ritchie yelled.

"You're not high, let the bag go!" Mickey demanded pulling on the bag.

“I’m high on life,” Ritchie tried pushing us off.

I let the bag go, noticing a bag of skittles. I quickly grabbed them before the other two had a chance. I slid back down onto the floor next to Griffin who was happily munching on Oreos, ignoring the fighting next to him. 

Next thing I know, my Mom is bounding into my room, "It's late! Stop the yelling, before I send your Father in here," She yelled then slammed the door.

Ritchie and Mickey stopped, before quietly arguing over the bag.

Soon we settled down, Griffin and Mickey laying on the floor, while Ritchie and I in my bed. The sleeping situations also caused another argument, which was sorted out with a game of Rock Paper Scissors. 

"Bitchie," Mickey mumbled.

"You can't offend me with your overused insults," was all Ritchie said before rolling over. 

Ritchie poked my nose with his middle finger, trying to get my attention. I turned my face into my pillow and moved closer to the wall.

He pulled on my hair lightly causing me to open one eye, "Can I help you?" I whispered.

He smiled and whispered, "Couldn't help myself, you can't just walk around with a cute nose and soft hair and expect nothing to happen."

I smiled and pushed his hands away before quietly saying, "Let me sleep."

****

Over the course of the next few weeks, Griffin was incorporated into the friend group. He would hang out every Friday we had a sleepover and spent lunch with us at school. We also had a few more cute dates since our first. Mainly just getting ice cream, dinner, or a movie. We both admitted our feelings for each other a few days ago but haven't spoken anything about it since.

“Hey! Sawyer,” Griffin shouted as he jogged to catch up with me.

“Hey Griffin, what’s up?”

“How does a picnic sound? It’s not supposed to rain tonight and will most likely be one of the last days of warm weather,” Griffin suggested.

I smiled, “Yeah, of course. A picnic sounds great.”

“Great! I’ll meet you at the lion after school,” He said kissing my cheek quickly, before taking off in the other direction.

I bit my lip to keep a grin from taking over my face as I headed into my history class. We haven’t kissed yet, and I’m hoping today will change that. 

“ _ Ooh lover boy, what’re you doing tonight, hey boy, _ ” Mickey sang teasingly upon noticing the blush spread across my cheeks.

“I have a picnic date tonight, and I think he’s going to ask me to be his boyfriend!” I whisper-shouted.

“Get it Sawyer!” They shouted, grabbing the attention of half of the class.

“Pipe down, would you? Don’t need everyone knowing my business.”

“Sorry to say, but you’re potentially dating Griffin, everyone already knows,” Mickey whispered quickly before Mrs. Tennan, the history teacher, began the lecture. 

***

Before I could approach the lion, Ritchie was pulling me towards the bathrooms.

“Sawyer, I need food.”

“Go home and get food Ritchie, or go over to mine, my mom has left over lasagna from the other night.”

He patted me on the back and nodded slightly before taking off. Ever since I’ve gotten closer to Griffin, both Ritchie and Michele have been acting weird and trying to stall me any chance they got. 

I headed back towards the front lobby and saw Griffin leaning against the statue, waiting for me.

“Sorry for being late, Ritchie’s acting weird.”

“It’s all good, friends first Sawyer,” Griffin smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the building. 

We drove in silence with the radio playing quietly in the background. When he pulled into the parking lot at the park, he stopped before he got out of the car.

“Hey, homecoming’s coming up, yeah? And I know this isn’t a proper proposal, but was wondering if you’d like to go? With me?” Griffin asked, biting his lip.

I hesitated before answering, “Yeah sure, but I kind of already do this thing with Ritchie and Mickey where we go together, if you want to join? I really don’t want to bail on something we’ve been doing since freshman year,” I explained.

Griffin smiled and nodded, “I’d love to join, as long as I get at least one dance.”

“More than one most likely, Mickey usually dances with Nat, that’s if they’re dating, and Ritchie and I, but I can squeeze you in,” I joked.

“Wouldn’t want to take you away from Ritchie too long, which by the way, a couple of weeks ago, he said something about not being marriage material for you?”

I laughed and nodded, “Yeah, my Mom said you marry your best friend and I didn’t know any better.”

Griffin laughed with me. “You don’t need to worry about me going after someone else,” I joked.

We got out of the car, Griffin went to the trunk to get a blanket and a lunch box.

“So, I have grapes and fluffernutter sandwiches,” Griffin explained as he laid the blanket down. 

I smiled and sat next to him, “I love fluffernutters, one of my main sources of protein.”

“I’ll have to get you some of my Dad’s famous hamburgers then, yeah?”

“I’m pescatarian,” is all I said.

Griffin pursed his lips before replying, “What a sad life, Sawyer.”

I rolled my eyes and pushed him away, “I’m healthy and happy, get on my level.”

A comfortable silence fell over us as we ate our sandwiches. There were a few children playing on the park equipment with their parents watching nearby. Two squirrels were chasing each other around a tree before running up the tree and getting lost in the leaves. In the distance you could hear the river rushing by, a bit quieter than usual since it hasn’t rained in almost a week. 

“Even though this is the saddest park on the planet, you’ve got to admit its peaceful,” Griffin spoke, breaking the silence.

I nodded, silently agreeing, while popping a few grapes into my mouth.

“Can we talk?” Griffin suddenly asked, causing me to go into alert mode.

“Yeah, sure, what about?” I said, my voice cracking slightly. 

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad, love.”

I let out a breath of relief and turned to face him, “What’s up?”

He started to pick at the grass next to the blanket before looking up at me, “Well we’ve been hanging out a lot and getting to know each other and you know? I was wondering if you want to like, make us official? Like what I’m trying to say if you’d like to be mine?”

I smiled, “I’d love to be your boyfriend, Griffin,” I spoke calmly, while on the inside I was bursting. 

“Great! That’s amazing, I’ve been so worried to ask you and was afraid you wouldn’t say yes,” He rambled on.

I chuckled quietly. “Can I kiss you?” He asked quietly. 

“Please do,” I responded, and in no time, he brought his lips to mine. 

He had one hand cradled against my cheek, and the other on my knee. His lips were soft and warm while his nose was kind of cold. Butterflies erupted in my stomach and my entire body warmed at his touch.

He pulled away slightly, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that Sawyer Caruso.” 

  
  



End file.
